A whole family in NC died this week because they couldn’t afford to pay their electric bill and was using a generator inside their home

Reports consistently identify the victims as Tracey Swann, Kenny Swann, and their adopted adult daughter, Mahala Scurlock. Rocky Mount police reportedly found them during a welfare check at their mobile home after the electricity had been disconnected for several days.

Multiple outlets, including CBS17, WRAL, ABC11, People, and Charlotte Alerts News, reported that the family had been using a generator after the power was shut off. The reported unpaid balance was approximately $2,000, although details about the bill, attempted payments, and the utility company's policy came primarily from relatives or neighbors and were still being examined.

The likely mechanism of death was carbon-monoxide exposure from generator use inside or near the home, but the available reports state that the cause of death remained under investigation. WRAL specifically reported that investigators were examining whether a generator was running inside the residence. Therefore, it is premature to state as an established fact that the family died because they could not afford the bill. The claim also compresses several reported facts into a definitive causal statement and uses the singular phrase "a whole family," although the reported household consisted of three people.

The Reddit result concerns a separate Maryland incident involving seven children and does not provide evidence about the North Carolina deaths. The Consumer Reports article provides broader context about energy affordability but does not verify the details of this specific case.